THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH IN KENSINGTON
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392 to his identity about his person ; and, if any such clue could be found, it was both cruel and unjustifiable to send him to a workhouse. He should have been attended to by the police-surgeon, and kept at the station until a message had been dispatched for his friends or servants and his usual medical attendant. It would of course have been desirable, if practicable, that he should be conveyed to his own home ; and, if this were for any reason impracticable, a. hospital would have been a more fitting place for him than a workhouse. THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH IN KENSINGTON. WE have received a copy of an address from the district medical officers of Kensington urging the vestry to elect all four of them medical officers of health, on the ground that such is the Irish system. We are most anxious to see every Poor-law medical officer associated with sanitary administration; and in the country the district medical officer will generally be sole officer, simply because there is no one else to act. But in i the larger towns, where there are a variety of duties, such as testing gas and water, advising general improvements, superintending lodging-houses, disinfecting clothes, &c., the power will be much better concentrated in a medical officer of health, having for local deputies the district officers. And this is the Irish system. In Dublin, for example, Dr. Mapother is the officer of health, and the district medical officers assist him in his labours. HEALTH OF PARIS. AFTER a lapse of twenty-four weeks the Registrar-General has the gratification of announcing the resumption of the Weekly Returns of mortality for the city of Paris. During the week ending the 10th inst. 2993 deaths were recorded, of which 360 occurred among the military force in the city. Small-pox exhibits a greatly reduced fatality by comparison with former returns, the deaths therefrom being 85. The prevailing maladies were bronchitis, pneumonia, enteric fever, diarrhoea, and dysentery. The mortality is declining, but it is yet far in excess of the normal rate. FRIENDLY SOCIETIES AND INSANITY. WE observe with satisfaction that Mr. Knox has con- firmed the decision that insanity is sickness within the meaning of the friendly societies’ rules. He therefore made an order for payments due to a widow whose husband had died in a lunatic asylum. Owing to the doubts upon the subject which had been expressed by the late Mr. Tidd Pratt, he disallowed costs. We trust that this decision may set the matter at rest, for it is a hardship that the dis- tressed applicants should be mulcted repeatedly in costs. THE A. B. C. PROCESS AT LEAMINGTON. THE Leamington Local Board have notified to the pro- prietors of the A. B. C. process that, unless the unwhole- some condition of the works be remedied, they will be com- pelled to take legal steps to put a stop to them. We com- mend this resolve to the consideration of the Metropolitan Board of Works, with a view to inquiry whether suffi- cient guarantees have been taken against the creation of a similar nuisance at the works the Company have leave to erect at the northern outfall. AT a meeting of the House Committee held on March 14th, 1871, Mr. Francis Mason and Mr. Richard Davy were nominated as candidates for the respective offices of surgeon and assistant-surgeon to the Westminster Hospital. DR. GEORGE BUCHANAN, the able Professor of Anatomy in the Andersonian University of Glasgow, received a gra- tifying testimonial, a few days ago, from the members of the popular anatomy class of the University. The testimo- nial consisted of a clock in bronze and marble, surmounted with the figure-subject, Michael Angelo’s 11 Thinker," and bore the following inscription : " Presented to George Buchanan, Esq., M.D., by the students of his popular even- ing class.-Andersonian University, February, 1871." We agree with Dr. Buchanan in highly approving of the teach- ing of anatomy to the people, and we congratulate him on having pupils who appreciate his services. THE number of deaths in Canterbury during the past year has been considerably in excess of a healthy standard. The sanitary authorities require to be stirred up to greater exertion. Numerous cesspools, frequently overflowing, are permitted to contaminate the atmosphere, although an efficient sewer passes by the houses. Many of the citizens are consuming tainted water, notwithstanding that there is an unlimited supply of the best in the kingdom brought to their very doors. These conditions point to the importance of pressing upon Parliament to carry out the recommenda- tions of the Royal Sanitary Commission. A VERY valuable gold watch and ten handsomely-bound volumes of Sowerby’s 11 British Botany," accompanied by a scroll containing the names of the principal subscribers, with an expression of their esteem and affection, have just been presented by old Epsomians to Dr. Thornton, some time Head Master of Epsom College, and now Warden of £ Trinity College, Glenalmond. Dr. Thornton, it will be re- membered, received in July, 1870, a testimonial from the boys actually in the College; while the presentation of this later token of respect and gratitude from the old Epsomians was unavoidably postponed till the other day. WE are glad to announce the amalgamation of the Ethnological and the Anthropological Societies of London. Prof. Huxley, on behalf of the former Society, in considera- tion of the strong wish that the term "Anthropological" should be retained, proposed the title of " Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland" for the new society, which was unanimously adopted. THE cause of Experimental Physics at Cambridge, in which we have more than once expressed an interest, has been powerfully reinforced by the appointment of the first lecturer to the newly-founded chair in that subject. The choice of the electors has fallen on James Clerk Maxwell, Esq., M.A., of Trinity College, formerly Professor of Natural Philosophy at Aberdeen, and at King’s College, London. MR. J. COMYNS LEACH, B.Sc., M.R.C.S.E., has been ap- pointed a County Coroner for Dorsetshire, in the room of W. H. R. Bennett, M.R.C.S.E., resigned. This appoint- ment until five years ago was always held by a member of the legal profession, when Mr. Bennett contested it with a lawyer, and was successful. This time there was no oppo- sition. ____ WE are glad to learn that Deputy Inspectors-General Drs. Gordon, C.B., and J. H. Kerr Innes, C.B., have re- turned to this country, the former from Paris, where he had been present during the siege, and the latter from the head-quarters of the Prussian army. Surgeon-Major Wyatt, who was accredited to the French Government with Dr. Gordon, has not yet returned to England.
Transcript of THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH IN KENSINGTON
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to his identity about his person ; and, if any such cluecould be found, it was both cruel and unjustifiable to sendhim to a workhouse. He should have been attended to bythe police-surgeon, and kept at the station until a messagehad been dispatched for his friends or servants and hisusual medical attendant. It would of course have been
desirable, if practicable, that he should be conveyed to hisown home ; and, if this were for any reason impracticable,a. hospital would have been a more fitting place for himthan a workhouse.
THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH INKENSINGTON.
WE have received a copy of an address from the districtmedical officers of Kensington urging the vestry to elect allfour of them medical officers of health, on the ground thatsuch is the Irish system.We are most anxious to see every Poor-law medical
officer associated with sanitary administration; and in thecountry the district medical officer will generally be soleofficer, simply because there is no one else to act. But in ithe larger towns, where there are a variety of duties, such as testing gas and water, advising general improvements,superintending lodging-houses, disinfecting clothes, &c.,the power will be much better concentrated in a medicalofficer of health, having for local deputies the districtofficers. And this is the Irish system. In Dublin, forexample, Dr. Mapother is the officer of health, and thedistrict medical officers assist him in his labours.
HEALTH OF PARIS.
AFTER a lapse of twenty-four weeks the Registrar-Generalhas the gratification of announcing the resumption of theWeekly Returns of mortality for the city of Paris. Duringthe week ending the 10th inst. 2993 deaths were recorded,of which 360 occurred among the military force in the city.Small-pox exhibits a greatly reduced fatality by comparisonwith former returns, the deaths therefrom being 85. The
prevailing maladies were bronchitis, pneumonia, enteric
fever, diarrhoea, and dysentery. The mortality is declining,but it is yet far in excess of the normal rate.
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES AND INSANITY.
WE observe with satisfaction that Mr. Knox has con-firmed the decision that insanity is sickness within themeaning of the friendly societies’ rules. He therefore madean order for payments due to a widow whose husband haddied in a lunatic asylum. Owing to the doubts upon thesubject which had been expressed by the late Mr. TiddPratt, he disallowed costs. We trust that this decision
may set the matter at rest, for it is a hardship that the dis-tressed applicants should be mulcted repeatedly in costs.
THE A. B. C. PROCESS AT LEAMINGTON.
THE Leamington Local Board have notified to the pro-prietors of the A. B. C. process that, unless the unwhole-some condition of the works be remedied, they will be com-pelled to take legal steps to put a stop to them. We com-mend this resolve to the consideration of the MetropolitanBoard of Works, with a view to inquiry whether suffi-cient guarantees have been taken against the creation of asimilar nuisance at the works the Company have leave toerect at the northern outfall.
AT a meeting of the House Committee held on March14th, 1871, Mr. Francis Mason and Mr. Richard Davy werenominated as candidates for the respective offices of surgeonand assistant-surgeon to the Westminster Hospital.
DR. GEORGE BUCHANAN, the able Professor of Anatomyin the Andersonian University of Glasgow, received a gra-tifying testimonial, a few days ago, from the members ofthe popular anatomy class of the University. The testimo-nial consisted of a clock in bronze and marble, surmountedwith the figure-subject, Michael Angelo’s 11 Thinker," andbore the following inscription : " Presented to GeorgeBuchanan, Esq., M.D., by the students of his popular even-ing class.-Andersonian University, February, 1871." Weagree with Dr. Buchanan in highly approving of the teach-ing of anatomy to the people, and we congratulate him onhaving pupils who appreciate his services.
THE number of deaths in Canterbury during the pastyear has been considerably in excess of a healthy standard.The sanitary authorities require to be stirred up to greaterexertion. Numerous cesspools, frequently overflowing, arepermitted to contaminate the atmosphere, although anefficient sewer passes by the houses. Many of the citizensare consuming tainted water, notwithstanding that there isan unlimited supply of the best in the kingdom brought totheir very doors. These conditions point to the importanceof pressing upon Parliament to carry out the recommenda-tions of the Royal Sanitary Commission.
A VERY valuable gold watch and ten handsomely-boundvolumes of Sowerby’s 11 British Botany," accompanied bya scroll containing the names of the principal subscribers,with an expression of their esteem and affection, have justbeen presented by old Epsomians to Dr. Thornton, sometime Head Master of Epsom College, and now Warden of £
Trinity College, Glenalmond. Dr. Thornton, it will be re-membered, received in July, 1870, a testimonial from theboys actually in the College; while the presentation of thislater token of respect and gratitude from the old Epsomianswas unavoidably postponed till the other day.
WE are glad to announce the amalgamation of the
Ethnological and the Anthropological Societies of London.Prof. Huxley, on behalf of the former Society, in considera-tion of the strong wish that the term "Anthropological"should be retained, proposed the title of " AnthropologicalInstitute of Great Britain and Ireland" for the new society,which was unanimously adopted.
THE cause of Experimental Physics at Cambridge, inwhich we have more than once expressed an interest, hasbeen powerfully reinforced by the appointment of the firstlecturer to the newly-founded chair in that subject. Thechoice of the electors has fallen on James Clerk Maxwell,Esq., M.A., of Trinity College, formerly Professor of NaturalPhilosophy at Aberdeen, and at King’s College, London.
MR. J. COMYNS LEACH, B.Sc., M.R.C.S.E., has been ap-pointed a County Coroner for Dorsetshire, in the room ofW. H. R. Bennett, M.R.C.S.E., resigned. This appoint-ment until five years ago was always held by a member ofthe legal profession, when Mr. Bennett contested it with alawyer, and was successful. This time there was no oppo-sition.
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WE are glad to learn that Deputy Inspectors-GeneralDrs. Gordon, C.B., and J. H. Kerr Innes, C.B., have re-turned to this country, the former from Paris, where hehad been present during the siege, and the latter from thehead-quarters of the Prussian army. Surgeon-Major Wyatt,who was accredited to the French Government with Dr.
Gordon, has not yet returned to England.
